Charlotte Votes To Rename Roads With Confederate Ties

Months after recommending the city rename nine streets with ties to slavery and the Confederacy, the Charlotte City Council unanimously voted to implement the change.

The Legacy Commission, created in June 2020, discovered nine streets around the city that were named after leaders of the Confederacy that they recommended to the council be renamed. At a December meeting, members of the Commission said their goal is to help make Charlotte a more unified and welcoming city for all.

"We want to change the symbolic landscape to reflect the kind of city we aspire to be in the 21st century," Commission Chair Emily Zimmern said at the time.

She continued, "I think we have to confront our history to be able to change and create a better future. It's been a long time coming."

The roads that will be renamed are Jefferson Davis Street, West Hill Street, Stonewall Street, Jackson Avenue, Phifer Avenue, Aycock Lane, Barringer Drive, Morrison Boulevard, and Zebulon Avenue. According to the Legacy Commission's report and city historians, each of these streets have ties to Confederate leaders, owners of enslaved people, or white supremacists, WCNC reports.

Residents on affected roads like Jefferson Davis Street are supportive of the change.

"It's time to change the name of the street," said Stephanie Steele. "Jefferson Davis is gone and dead and buried, OK? Let somebody else's be on this street."

Though only nine streets have been approved, the commission will continue its work to address any controversial names that may be brought to its attention in the future.

"We'll collaborate with CDOT on new city-owned streets to help ensure we do not run across this path again," said a spokesperson with the Legacy Commission. "In addition, we'll be collaborating with Levine Museum of the New South and land commission to review new street names to make sure they're in accordance with new criteria."

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